Photographer and Fisherman Corey Arnold

Photographer and Fisherman Corey Arnold

Corey Arnold's world straddles two disparate, yet wonderfully integrated, pursuits—he works as both a professional photographer and an Alaskan crab fisherman. Now there's a story. We asked him how his inside perspective on human and animal relationships influences his photographs. When I was a kid, I used to stalk birds and other animals with my BB gun in the backyard. My hunter instinct was strong and I'd spend hours searching for victims. Then, after killing something, I was torn by my adrenaline-fueled sense of accomplishment and deep sadness for what I had done.

The same applied to sport-fishing as a child. The goal was, of course, to seek out and kill the largest, most beautiful fish! At home, I've fathered many pets—cats, snakes, dogs, and rabbits. For some instinctual reason, I'm endlessly curious about animals. I like to be in close quarters with them, whether it be gutting a fish for dinner or letting my cat sleep on my head. The human animal series came along naturally. It's a series of curious animal situations that I've encountered throughout my recent life.

This is an ongoing series, an exploration of how we relate to animals, and it covers a broad perspective of events both real and designed. My time at sea as a commercial fisherman has given me a more animal perspective on animals than a human one in some ways. The goal is to make pictures that are sometimes brutal and often ridiculous, which is how I experience our shared world with animals.